Sea Turtles is inspired by personal experiences.

In 2007, I had just started undergrad when I received a call that my first cousin, Akira died during childbirth. My mother adopted Akira’s daughter and since then, she has been my little sister. 2019 brought a horrific kind of déjà vu. I received another call, this time as an MFA Directing student at UCLA. Akira’s sister, Kassie, had died during childbirth. They both suffered from preeclampsia, a highly treatable common risk factor that is often missed in Black women’s pregnancies. Two high-profile examples are Beyoncé and Serena Williams, who almost died during childbirth from the same condition.

As a teenager, my adopted sister began to withdraw from the rest of the family, especially during holidays. When I learned about sea turtles, I was immediately struck by how much their lives so poetically mirrored the social and emotional experiences of motherless children. A mother sea turtle lays her eggs and crawls into the ocean, never to see her babies again. Stronger hatchlings leaving the nest, create a path for the weaker ones. A sea turtle's adolescent years are known as the “lost years” because they withdraw and scientists don’t know where they go. Adult sea turtles become home to many small creatures who hitch rides on their backs. Nearly all species of sea turtle are now classified as endangered.

This film, Sea Turtles, will be a resource for social impact and will help amplify the conversation about Black maternal health and medical disparities. It is also my way of honoring my little sister, my cousins Akira, and Kassie, and the other families impacted by maternal mortality.